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More discussion re. relative scarcity of Roman Imperial coins & how to map out a new set
lordmarcovan
Posts: 43,412 ✭✭✭✭✭
In my previous post on this topic, I was wondering how to map out a sensible yet suitably condensed collection of Roman Imperial coins with emperor portraits. I am one of those people who's up for a challenge, yet not quite able to commit to an "uncompletable" quest (or one that is completable only after twenty to thirty years, or a lifetime). As a veteran of the good ol' Dansco #7070 US type set album, and the complete 3-album Dansco Irish predecimal collection, I found myself wondering how one figures out what to include and what not to. An album is fun and there is no guesswork involved, because it is already mapped out and you know what holes you need to fill. I wanted the "Dansco version", as if there were ever such a thing, which of course there never will be.
Roman Imperial coinage obviously would not fit into your average "type set" album (even if they were round enough to fit album ports). There are a number of specialties and themes one can use to collect them, but I found the only one that appealed to me was an emperor set. By pursuing it, I will be learning history while having fun.
Aside from the irregular shape of hand-struck ancient coinage, you've got the bewildering array of rulers and personalities to contend with, some of whose coinage is prohibitively rare or downright impossible to collect, with perhaps only one or two examples residing in museums. I already realize that a "complete" collection of Roman Imperial coinage by emperor is practically impossible to the average collector, and probably to ANY collector. So what parameters does one use to do an emperor set?
My goal is a nice, challenging, yet eventually completable intermediate-level set. I want a set that allows me the option of purchasing many coins below fifty to a hundred dollars each, but I expect a handful to be in the mid-three-figure range, and perhaps one or two near the thousand-dollar mark. Coins costing more than a thousand dollars are pretty much outside of my budget at this time, but who knows about the future. The set I have my sights on will take several years to complete, and yet it shouldn't be one of those that will take me the rest of my life to do.
Well, I decided first to exclude the empresses and family members and anyone who wasn't an emperor. These non-imperial personalities are interesting and maybe one day I will branch out, but at least for now they will remain outside the focus of the collection. Secondly, I will exclude any usurpers, most if not all caesars who did not make full emperor status, and thirdly, the one-coin-wonders- those emperors who are prohibitively rare. That should take care of most of the "untouchable" coins.
But how does a novice collector to the field (with a few books but a relatively small library) determine what coins are prohibitively rare and what aren't? In my previous post, I asked if anybody knew of a difficulty scale, based on a list of rulers I pulled from a non-numismatic book. Josh Moran of Civitas responded, and was a big help. The scale he posted used, at my suggestion, difficulty ratings from one to five.
Since then, I purchased a CD database on eBay. I wasn't sure of what to expect from it, as it was obviously aimed at the novice buyer of uncleaned bulk lots. However, I found myself impressed with the software- it wasn't too "dumbed down" but it had plenty of useful information for the novice like myself. One of the items on it was just what I was asking for previously- a scarcity scale. In this case they used numbers from one to nine, and they separated it by bronze (AE) and silver (AR) coinage. Very helpful. So now I have not only a rough idea of what emperors are scarcer than others, but also which ones I'll be picking silver coins from and which I will aim at bronze coins from. I can recommend this software- I found a few errors, mostly typographical, but it is obvious that somebody invested a lot of time and effort into creating it, and it is useful and handy.
So now it looks as though I have my budding collection mapped out, and a direction to move in. I bought a nice red leather zip-up three-ring binder, I have 20-pocket pages and flips, and I am just about ready to go! Three things sort of "clicked" when I figured out the list, too: 1) the list runs to eighty coins, which is not only a nice round number but a number that fits exactly in four twenty-pocket album pages. 2) Starting with Augustus and ending with Zeno, by coincidence, I have an A to Z set! 3) The collection ends with a gold coin- a holed Zeno solidus that has been the centerpiece of my Holey Gold Hat. It can do double duty- I will keep it in the album but wear it on the hat when I go to shows. I won't seek out other holey coins for this set, but Roman gold is Roman gold, and the Zeno has an Eliasberg pedigree, so you can bet it will be included, hole or no hole. As another happy coincidence, I just noticed today that the Zeno solidus has my daughter's name on its reverse: VICTORIA. It might be a good omen.
Anyway, here goes the list. I post it here not only for my own use, but also in case anyone else desires to map out their own Roman coin collection. I believe it is only a lack of readily-available reference material for the beginner that keeps many of us out of the field.
Bold names with numbers to the left of them are what will appear in my set. If you have suggestions or advice for me at this stage, please share it.
The pair of numbers in brackets to the right of each ruler are the AE (bronze) rarity and AR (silver) rarity scales, respectively, rated from 1 (easy) to 9 (extremely difficult). Rulers with an "N/A" in both brackets are known to have only gold coins. Gold is not rated because all is considered rare.
This list of rulers and the rarity scale was adopted from the Dirty Old Coins LLC database. I imagine it still leaves one or two out, but surely those would be uncollectibly impossible, anyway.
I have noticed some discrepancies in the dates of reigns from this database and the previous list I had from Michael Grant's book on the emperors. I'm sure there are reasons for this but I have not had time to iron that out yet. If you see any discrepancies, let me know. This is a work in progress, and an education for me.
Julius Caesar, 49-44 BC [?][6]
1. Augustus (Octavian), 27 BC – 14 AD [4][6]
Livia (wife of Augustus) [6][N/A]
Agrippa (friend of Augustus) [5][N/A]
2. Tiberius, 14-37 [6][6]
Julia (wife of Tiberius) [N/A] [9]
Nero Claudius Drusus (brother of Tiberius) [7][8]
Antonia (wife of Nero Claudius Drusus) [5][8]
Drusus (son of Tiberius) [4][N/A]
Germanicus (son of Nero Claudius Drusus) [4][N/A]
Agrippina (wife of Germanicus) [7][N/A]
Nero and Drusus (sons of Germanicus) [6][N/A]
3. Caligula, 37-41 [5][8]
4. Claudius, 41-54 [3][8]
5. Nero, 54-68 [5][6]
Clodius Macer (68, usurper) [N/A][9]
6. Galba, 68-69 [6][6]
7. Otho, 69 [N/A][6]
8. Vitellius, 69 [7][5]
9. Vespasian, 69-79 [5][4]
Domitilla (wife of Vespasian) [8][8]
10. Titus, 79-81 [6][5]
11. Domitian, 81-96 [4][3]
Domitia (wife of Domitian) [8][9]
12. Nerva, 96-98 [4][3]
13. Trajan, 98-117 [3][3]
Plotina (wife of Trajan) [7][8]
Marciana (sister of Trajan) [7][7]
Matidia (daughter of Marciana) [7][8]
14. Hadrian, 117-138 [3][3]
Sabina (wife of Hadrian) [7][5]
Aelius, 136-138 [6][6]
15. Antoninus Pius, 138-161 [3][3]
Faustina Sr. (wife of Antoninus Pius) [4][3]
16. Marcus Aurelius, 161-180 [3][3]
Faustina Jr. (wife of Marcus Aurelius) [4][3]
17. Lucius Verus, 161-169 [5][4]
Lucilla (wife of Lucius Verus) [5][5]
18. Commodus, 177-192 [4][3]
Crispina (Wife of Commodus) [7][5]
19. Pertinax, 193 [7][7]
20. Didius Julianus, 193 [7][7]
Manlia Scantilla (wife of Didius Julianus) [8][8]
Didia Clara (daughter of Didius Julianus) [8][8]
21. Pescennius Niger, 193-194 [?][7]
22. Septimius Severus, 193-211 [6][3]
Julia Domna (wife of Septimius Severus) [6][3]
23. Caracalla, 198-217 [6][3]
Plautilla (wife of Caracalla) [7][4]
24. Geta, 209-212 [7][3]
25. Macrinus, 217-218 [7][5]
Diadumenian, 218 [7][6]
26. Elagabalus, 218-222 [6][3]
Julia Paula (1st wife of Elagabalus) [7][4]
Aquilia Severa (2nd wife of Elagabalus) [8][5]
Annia Faustina (3rd wife of Elagabalus) [9][7]
Julia Soaemias (mother of Elagabalus) [6][4]
Julia Maesa (grandmother of Elagabalus & S. Alexander) [6][4]
27. Severus Alexander, 222-235 [5][3]
Orbiana (wife of Severus Alexander) [8][6]
Julia Mamaea (mother of Severus Alexander) [6][4]
28. Maximinus, 235-238 [4][4]
Paulina (wife of Maximinus) [8][7]
Maximus, 235-238 [5][6]
Gordian I, 238 [7][7]
Gordian II, 238 [7][7]
29. Balbinus, 238 [6][6]
30. Pupienus, 238 [6][6]
31. Gordian III, 238-244 [4][2]
Tranquillina (wife of Gordian III) [7][8]
32. Philip I, 244-249 [4][3]
Otacilia Severa (wife of Philip I) [4][3]
33. Philip II, 247-249 [4][3]
Pacatian (c.248, usurper) [N/A][8]
Jotapian (c.248, usurper) [N/A][9]
Silbannacus (c.248, usurper) [N/A][9]
34. Trajan Decius, 249-251 [4][3]
Herennia Etruscilla (wife of Trajan Decius) [4][3]
Herennius Etruscus, 251 [4][4]
Hostilian, 251 [7][6]
35. Trebonianus Gallus, 251-253 [4][3]
36. Volusian, 251-253 [4][4]
37. Aemilian, 253 [8][6]
Cornelia Supera (wife of Aemilian) [9][9]
Uranius Antoninus, (c.253, usurper) [9][9]
38. Valerian I, 253-260 [4][3]
Mariniana (wife of Valerian) [7][7]
Valerian II, 256-258 [5][4]
39. Gallienus, 260-268 [2][N/A]
Salonina, (wife of Gallienus) [3][N/A]
40. Saloninus, 260 [5][5]
Regalianus (c.260, usurper) [N/A][9]
Dryantilla (wife of Regalianus) [N/A][9]
Postumus (c.260-269, usurper) [4][3]
Macrianus (c.260-261, usurper) [5][N/A]
Quietus (c.260-261, usurper) [5][N/A]
Aureolus (c.267-268, usurper) [7][N/A]
41. Claudius II, 268-270 [2][N/A]
Marius (c.269, usurper) [6][N/A]
Laelianus (c.269, usurper) [7][N/A]
Victorinus (c.269-271, usurper) [3][N/A]
42. Quintillus, 270 [4][N/A]
43. Aurelian, 270-275 [2][N/A]
Vabalathus (c.271-272, usurper) [5][N/A]
Zenobia (mother of Vabalathus) [9][N/A]
Tetricus I (271-274, usurper) [3][N/A]
Tetricus II (c.273-274, usurper) [3][N/A]
44. Tacitus, 275-276 [3][N/A]
45. Florian, 276 [4][N/A]
46. Probus, 276-282 [2][N/A]
Saturninus (c.280, usurper) [UNIQUE][N/A]
47. Carus, 282-283 [3][N/A]
48. Numerian, 283-284 [3][N/A]
49. Carinus, 283-285 [3][N/A]
Magnia Urbica (wife of Carinus) [7][N/A]
Nigrinian (son of Carinus) [7][N/A]
50. Diocletian, 284-305 [2][6]
Julian (c.284, usurper) [9][N/A]
51. Maximianus, 286-305, 306-308 & 310 [3][6]
Carausius (287-293, usurper) [4][7]
Allectus (293-296, usurper) [5][N/A]
Domitius Domitianus (c.296-297, usurper) [8][N/A]
52. Constantius I, 305-306 [3][6]
Helena (1st wife of Constantius I) [3][N/A]
Theodora (2nd wife of Constantius I) [5][N/A]
53. Galerius, 305-311 [3][6]
Galeria Valeria (wife of Galerius) [4][N/A]
54. Severus II, 306-307 [5][8]
55. Maximinus II, 309-313 [3][6]
56. Maxentius, 306-312 [3][6]
Romulus (son of Maxentius) [5][N/A]
57. Constantine I, 307-337 [1][7]
Fausta (wife of Constantine I) [3][8]
Alexander (c.308-311, usurper) [8][N/A]
58. Licinius, 308-324 [1][8]
Constantia (wife of Licinius) [8][N/A]
Valerius Valens, c.316 [9][N/A]
Crispus, 316-324 [1][8]
Licinius Jr., 317-324 [1][N/A]
Martinian, 324 [8][N/A]
Delmatius, 335-337 [4][8]
Hanniballianus, 335-337 [7][9]
59. Constantine II, 337-340 [1][7]
60. Constans, 337-350 [1][6]
61. Constantius II, 337-361 [1][6]
Nepotian, 350 [9][N/A]
Vetranio (350, usurper) [6][8]
62. Magnentius, 350-353 [3][6]
Decentius, 351-353 [3][6]
Constantius Gallus, 351-354 [1][6]
63. Julian II, 360-363 [2][6]
64. Jovian, 363-364 [2][6]
65. Valentinian I, 364-375 [1][6]
66. Valens, 364-378 [1][6]
Procopius (365-366, usurper) [4][7]
67. Gratian, 367-383 [1][6]
68. Valentinian II, 375-392 [1][6]
69. Theodosius I, 379-395 [1][6]
Aelia Flaccilla (wife of Theodosius I) [3][8]
Magnus Maximus (383-388, usurper) [4][6]
Flavius Victor (387-388, usurper) [6][8]
70. Arcadius, 383-407 (East) [1][6]
Eudoxia (wife of Arcadius) [3][8]
Eugenius, 392-394 [6][7]
71. Honorius, 394-423 [1][6]
72. Theodosius II, 402-450 (East) [3][6]
Eudocia (wife of Theodosius II) [7][8]
Pulcheria (sister of Theodosius II) [7][8]
Constantine III (407-411, usurper) [9][8]
Constans II (c.409-411, usurper) [N/A][9]
Maximus (409-411, usurper) [9][9]
Priscus Attalus, 409-410 (and 414-415 as usurper) [9][8]
Jovinus (411-413, usurper) [N/A][9]
Sebastianus (c.412-413, usurper) [N/A][9]
Constantius III, 421 [N/A][9]
73. Johannes, 423-425 [6][8]
74. Valentinian III, 425-455 [5][8]
Licinia Eudoxia (wife of Valentinian III & P. Maximus) [N/A][N/A]
Galla Placidia (mother of Valentinian III) [7][8]
Honoria (sister of Valentinian III) [N/A][N/A]
75. Marcian, 450-457 (East) [5][8]
Petronius Maximus, 455 [N/A][N/A]
Avitus, 455-456 [9][9]
76. Leo I, 457-474 (East) [5][8]
Verina (wife of Leo I) [6][N/A]
77. Majorian, 457-461 [7][8]
78. Libius Severus, 461-465 [7][8]
79. Anthemius, 467-472 [8][8]
Euphemia (wife of Anthemius) [N/A][[9]
Olybrius, 472 [N/A][N/A]
Glycerius, 473-474 [N/A][UNIQUE]
Leo II, 473-474 (East) [9][N/A]
80. Zeno, 474-491 (East) [5][7]
Ariadne (wife of Zeno) [N/A][N/A]
Julius Nepos, 474-475 [9][9]
Romulus Augustus, 475-476 [N/A][9]
Basiliscus (and Marcus), 475-476 (East) [7][UNIQUE]
Zenonis (wife of Basiliscus) [7][N/A]
Leontius (484-488, usurper) [N/A][N/A]
Anastasius, 491-518 (East) [3][7]
Roman Imperial coinage obviously would not fit into your average "type set" album (even if they were round enough to fit album ports). There are a number of specialties and themes one can use to collect them, but I found the only one that appealed to me was an emperor set. By pursuing it, I will be learning history while having fun.
Aside from the irregular shape of hand-struck ancient coinage, you've got the bewildering array of rulers and personalities to contend with, some of whose coinage is prohibitively rare or downright impossible to collect, with perhaps only one or two examples residing in museums. I already realize that a "complete" collection of Roman Imperial coinage by emperor is practically impossible to the average collector, and probably to ANY collector. So what parameters does one use to do an emperor set?
My goal is a nice, challenging, yet eventually completable intermediate-level set. I want a set that allows me the option of purchasing many coins below fifty to a hundred dollars each, but I expect a handful to be in the mid-three-figure range, and perhaps one or two near the thousand-dollar mark. Coins costing more than a thousand dollars are pretty much outside of my budget at this time, but who knows about the future. The set I have my sights on will take several years to complete, and yet it shouldn't be one of those that will take me the rest of my life to do.
Well, I decided first to exclude the empresses and family members and anyone who wasn't an emperor. These non-imperial personalities are interesting and maybe one day I will branch out, but at least for now they will remain outside the focus of the collection. Secondly, I will exclude any usurpers, most if not all caesars who did not make full emperor status, and thirdly, the one-coin-wonders- those emperors who are prohibitively rare. That should take care of most of the "untouchable" coins.
But how does a novice collector to the field (with a few books but a relatively small library) determine what coins are prohibitively rare and what aren't? In my previous post, I asked if anybody knew of a difficulty scale, based on a list of rulers I pulled from a non-numismatic book. Josh Moran of Civitas responded, and was a big help. The scale he posted used, at my suggestion, difficulty ratings from one to five.
Since then, I purchased a CD database on eBay. I wasn't sure of what to expect from it, as it was obviously aimed at the novice buyer of uncleaned bulk lots. However, I found myself impressed with the software- it wasn't too "dumbed down" but it had plenty of useful information for the novice like myself. One of the items on it was just what I was asking for previously- a scarcity scale. In this case they used numbers from one to nine, and they separated it by bronze (AE) and silver (AR) coinage. Very helpful. So now I have not only a rough idea of what emperors are scarcer than others, but also which ones I'll be picking silver coins from and which I will aim at bronze coins from. I can recommend this software- I found a few errors, mostly typographical, but it is obvious that somebody invested a lot of time and effort into creating it, and it is useful and handy.
So now it looks as though I have my budding collection mapped out, and a direction to move in. I bought a nice red leather zip-up three-ring binder, I have 20-pocket pages and flips, and I am just about ready to go! Three things sort of "clicked" when I figured out the list, too: 1) the list runs to eighty coins, which is not only a nice round number but a number that fits exactly in four twenty-pocket album pages. 2) Starting with Augustus and ending with Zeno, by coincidence, I have an A to Z set! 3) The collection ends with a gold coin- a holed Zeno solidus that has been the centerpiece of my Holey Gold Hat. It can do double duty- I will keep it in the album but wear it on the hat when I go to shows. I won't seek out other holey coins for this set, but Roman gold is Roman gold, and the Zeno has an Eliasberg pedigree, so you can bet it will be included, hole or no hole. As another happy coincidence, I just noticed today that the Zeno solidus has my daughter's name on its reverse: VICTORIA. It might be a good omen.
Anyway, here goes the list. I post it here not only for my own use, but also in case anyone else desires to map out their own Roman coin collection. I believe it is only a lack of readily-available reference material for the beginner that keeps many of us out of the field.
Bold names with numbers to the left of them are what will appear in my set. If you have suggestions or advice for me at this stage, please share it.
The pair of numbers in brackets to the right of each ruler are the AE (bronze) rarity and AR (silver) rarity scales, respectively, rated from 1 (easy) to 9 (extremely difficult). Rulers with an "N/A" in both brackets are known to have only gold coins. Gold is not rated because all is considered rare.
This list of rulers and the rarity scale was adopted from the Dirty Old Coins LLC database. I imagine it still leaves one or two out, but surely those would be uncollectibly impossible, anyway.
I have noticed some discrepancies in the dates of reigns from this database and the previous list I had from Michael Grant's book on the emperors. I'm sure there are reasons for this but I have not had time to iron that out yet. If you see any discrepancies, let me know. This is a work in progress, and an education for me.
Julius Caesar, 49-44 BC [?][6]
1. Augustus (Octavian), 27 BC – 14 AD [4][6]
Livia (wife of Augustus) [6][N/A]
Agrippa (friend of Augustus) [5][N/A]
2. Tiberius, 14-37 [6][6]
Julia (wife of Tiberius) [N/A] [9]
Nero Claudius Drusus (brother of Tiberius) [7][8]
Antonia (wife of Nero Claudius Drusus) [5][8]
Drusus (son of Tiberius) [4][N/A]
Germanicus (son of Nero Claudius Drusus) [4][N/A]
Agrippina (wife of Germanicus) [7][N/A]
Nero and Drusus (sons of Germanicus) [6][N/A]
3. Caligula, 37-41 [5][8]
4. Claudius, 41-54 [3][8]
5. Nero, 54-68 [5][6]
Clodius Macer (68, usurper) [N/A][9]
6. Galba, 68-69 [6][6]
7. Otho, 69 [N/A][6]
8. Vitellius, 69 [7][5]
9. Vespasian, 69-79 [5][4]
Domitilla (wife of Vespasian) [8][8]
10. Titus, 79-81 [6][5]
11. Domitian, 81-96 [4][3]
Domitia (wife of Domitian) [8][9]
12. Nerva, 96-98 [4][3]
13. Trajan, 98-117 [3][3]
Plotina (wife of Trajan) [7][8]
Marciana (sister of Trajan) [7][7]
Matidia (daughter of Marciana) [7][8]
14. Hadrian, 117-138 [3][3]
Sabina (wife of Hadrian) [7][5]
Aelius, 136-138 [6][6]
15. Antoninus Pius, 138-161 [3][3]
Faustina Sr. (wife of Antoninus Pius) [4][3]
16. Marcus Aurelius, 161-180 [3][3]
Faustina Jr. (wife of Marcus Aurelius) [4][3]
17. Lucius Verus, 161-169 [5][4]
Lucilla (wife of Lucius Verus) [5][5]
18. Commodus, 177-192 [4][3]
Crispina (Wife of Commodus) [7][5]
19. Pertinax, 193 [7][7]
20. Didius Julianus, 193 [7][7]
Manlia Scantilla (wife of Didius Julianus) [8][8]
Didia Clara (daughter of Didius Julianus) [8][8]
21. Pescennius Niger, 193-194 [?][7]
22. Septimius Severus, 193-211 [6][3]
Julia Domna (wife of Septimius Severus) [6][3]
23. Caracalla, 198-217 [6][3]
Plautilla (wife of Caracalla) [7][4]
24. Geta, 209-212 [7][3]
25. Macrinus, 217-218 [7][5]
Diadumenian, 218 [7][6]
26. Elagabalus, 218-222 [6][3]
Julia Paula (1st wife of Elagabalus) [7][4]
Aquilia Severa (2nd wife of Elagabalus) [8][5]
Annia Faustina (3rd wife of Elagabalus) [9][7]
Julia Soaemias (mother of Elagabalus) [6][4]
Julia Maesa (grandmother of Elagabalus & S. Alexander) [6][4]
27. Severus Alexander, 222-235 [5][3]
Orbiana (wife of Severus Alexander) [8][6]
Julia Mamaea (mother of Severus Alexander) [6][4]
28. Maximinus, 235-238 [4][4]
Paulina (wife of Maximinus) [8][7]
Maximus, 235-238 [5][6]
Gordian I, 238 [7][7]
Gordian II, 238 [7][7]
29. Balbinus, 238 [6][6]
30. Pupienus, 238 [6][6]
31. Gordian III, 238-244 [4][2]
Tranquillina (wife of Gordian III) [7][8]
32. Philip I, 244-249 [4][3]
Otacilia Severa (wife of Philip I) [4][3]
33. Philip II, 247-249 [4][3]
Pacatian (c.248, usurper) [N/A][8]
Jotapian (c.248, usurper) [N/A][9]
Silbannacus (c.248, usurper) [N/A][9]
34. Trajan Decius, 249-251 [4][3]
Herennia Etruscilla (wife of Trajan Decius) [4][3]
Herennius Etruscus, 251 [4][4]
Hostilian, 251 [7][6]
35. Trebonianus Gallus, 251-253 [4][3]
36. Volusian, 251-253 [4][4]
37. Aemilian, 253 [8][6]
Cornelia Supera (wife of Aemilian) [9][9]
Uranius Antoninus, (c.253, usurper) [9][9]
38. Valerian I, 253-260 [4][3]
Mariniana (wife of Valerian) [7][7]
Valerian II, 256-258 [5][4]
39. Gallienus, 260-268 [2][N/A]
Salonina, (wife of Gallienus) [3][N/A]
40. Saloninus, 260 [5][5]
Regalianus (c.260, usurper) [N/A][9]
Dryantilla (wife of Regalianus) [N/A][9]
Postumus (c.260-269, usurper) [4][3]
Macrianus (c.260-261, usurper) [5][N/A]
Quietus (c.260-261, usurper) [5][N/A]
Aureolus (c.267-268, usurper) [7][N/A]
41. Claudius II, 268-270 [2][N/A]
Marius (c.269, usurper) [6][N/A]
Laelianus (c.269, usurper) [7][N/A]
Victorinus (c.269-271, usurper) [3][N/A]
42. Quintillus, 270 [4][N/A]
43. Aurelian, 270-275 [2][N/A]
Vabalathus (c.271-272, usurper) [5][N/A]
Zenobia (mother of Vabalathus) [9][N/A]
Tetricus I (271-274, usurper) [3][N/A]
Tetricus II (c.273-274, usurper) [3][N/A]
44. Tacitus, 275-276 [3][N/A]
45. Florian, 276 [4][N/A]
46. Probus, 276-282 [2][N/A]
Saturninus (c.280, usurper) [UNIQUE][N/A]
47. Carus, 282-283 [3][N/A]
48. Numerian, 283-284 [3][N/A]
49. Carinus, 283-285 [3][N/A]
Magnia Urbica (wife of Carinus) [7][N/A]
Nigrinian (son of Carinus) [7][N/A]
50. Diocletian, 284-305 [2][6]
Julian (c.284, usurper) [9][N/A]
51. Maximianus, 286-305, 306-308 & 310 [3][6]
Carausius (287-293, usurper) [4][7]
Allectus (293-296, usurper) [5][N/A]
Domitius Domitianus (c.296-297, usurper) [8][N/A]
52. Constantius I, 305-306 [3][6]
Helena (1st wife of Constantius I) [3][N/A]
Theodora (2nd wife of Constantius I) [5][N/A]
53. Galerius, 305-311 [3][6]
Galeria Valeria (wife of Galerius) [4][N/A]
54. Severus II, 306-307 [5][8]
55. Maximinus II, 309-313 [3][6]
56. Maxentius, 306-312 [3][6]
Romulus (son of Maxentius) [5][N/A]
57. Constantine I, 307-337 [1][7]
Fausta (wife of Constantine I) [3][8]
Alexander (c.308-311, usurper) [8][N/A]
58. Licinius, 308-324 [1][8]
Constantia (wife of Licinius) [8][N/A]
Valerius Valens, c.316 [9][N/A]
Crispus, 316-324 [1][8]
Licinius Jr., 317-324 [1][N/A]
Martinian, 324 [8][N/A]
Delmatius, 335-337 [4][8]
Hanniballianus, 335-337 [7][9]
59. Constantine II, 337-340 [1][7]
60. Constans, 337-350 [1][6]
61. Constantius II, 337-361 [1][6]
Nepotian, 350 [9][N/A]
Vetranio (350, usurper) [6][8]
62. Magnentius, 350-353 [3][6]
Decentius, 351-353 [3][6]
Constantius Gallus, 351-354 [1][6]
63. Julian II, 360-363 [2][6]
64. Jovian, 363-364 [2][6]
65. Valentinian I, 364-375 [1][6]
66. Valens, 364-378 [1][6]
Procopius (365-366, usurper) [4][7]
67. Gratian, 367-383 [1][6]
68. Valentinian II, 375-392 [1][6]
69. Theodosius I, 379-395 [1][6]
Aelia Flaccilla (wife of Theodosius I) [3][8]
Magnus Maximus (383-388, usurper) [4][6]
Flavius Victor (387-388, usurper) [6][8]
70. Arcadius, 383-407 (East) [1][6]
Eudoxia (wife of Arcadius) [3][8]
Eugenius, 392-394 [6][7]
71. Honorius, 394-423 [1][6]
72. Theodosius II, 402-450 (East) [3][6]
Eudocia (wife of Theodosius II) [7][8]
Pulcheria (sister of Theodosius II) [7][8]
Constantine III (407-411, usurper) [9][8]
Constans II (c.409-411, usurper) [N/A][9]
Maximus (409-411, usurper) [9][9]
Priscus Attalus, 409-410 (and 414-415 as usurper) [9][8]
Jovinus (411-413, usurper) [N/A][9]
Sebastianus (c.412-413, usurper) [N/A][9]
Constantius III, 421 [N/A][9]
73. Johannes, 423-425 [6][8]
74. Valentinian III, 425-455 [5][8]
Licinia Eudoxia (wife of Valentinian III & P. Maximus) [N/A][N/A]
Galla Placidia (mother of Valentinian III) [7][8]
Honoria (sister of Valentinian III) [N/A][N/A]
75. Marcian, 450-457 (East) [5][8]
Petronius Maximus, 455 [N/A][N/A]
Avitus, 455-456 [9][9]
76. Leo I, 457-474 (East) [5][8]
Verina (wife of Leo I) [6][N/A]
77. Majorian, 457-461 [7][8]
78. Libius Severus, 461-465 [7][8]
79. Anthemius, 467-472 [8][8]
Euphemia (wife of Anthemius) [N/A][[9]
Olybrius, 472 [N/A][N/A]
Glycerius, 473-474 [N/A][UNIQUE]
Leo II, 473-474 (East) [9][N/A]
80. Zeno, 474-491 (East) [5][7]
Ariadne (wife of Zeno) [N/A][N/A]
Julius Nepos, 474-475 [9][9]
Romulus Augustus, 475-476 [N/A][9]
Basiliscus (and Marcus), 475-476 (East) [7][UNIQUE]
Zenonis (wife of Basiliscus) [7][N/A]
Leontius (484-488, usurper) [N/A][N/A]
Anastasius, 491-518 (East) [3][7]
0
Comments
Postumus (c.260-269, usurper) [4][3]
Victorinus (c.269-271, usurper) [3][N/A]
Tetricus I (271-274, usurper) [3][N/A]
Tetricus II (c.273-274, usurper) [3][N/A]
WNC Coins, LLC
1987-C Hendersonville Road
Asheville, NC 28803
wnccoins.com
I face a similar pang over not including empresses at this point. I had some lovely Faustina denarii I bought back at the 2003 FUN, which you may remember. At the time they were for resale. I suppose it is a good thing they are gone because I would be tempted to keep them. In due time I am sure I will branch out into some of the usurpers and empresses and so on- they are too interesting not to include.
But I gotta start somewhere, and focus is important for a puppy-eager novice, wouldn't you agree?
Of course anybody can make up their own album using flips and 20-pocket pages, as I have done. I went ahead and printed flip inserts for all eighty coins, and put them all in the pockets. So now I can hold the album and see where (and what) the empty holes are. With a grand total of ten coins as of this posting, I have mostly empty pages right now, but there are at least a couple coins on each of my four pages.
WNC Coins, LLC
1987-C Hendersonville Road
Asheville, NC 28803
wnccoins.com
I guess that makes him my godfather.
<< <i>Thanks, Ratty. I have seen those but not read any of them. Duly noted. I have an old Van Meter book I got from Ye Dead King above, and his castoff single-volume Sear, plus the Michael Grant non-numismatic book about the Roman Emperors that I also got from him. Aside from the CD database I just bought, Ye Dead King has been the sole source of my library on this topic, and is proving to be the source of the majority of the coins I have, as well.
I guess that makes him my godfather.
As long as you don't try to have him bounce you on his knee, I guess that's ok
<< <i>As long as you don't try to have him bounce you on his knee, I guess that's ok >>
Huh. He'd never walk again.
<< <i>Have you checked out this Coin Album for Roman? >>
JZR- nope- I had no idea there was such a beastie, though I certainly knew the market needed one. Have YOU checked it out? Has anybody seen one?
That looks quite interesting. I only wish there were more pictures of it, or an indication of what inclusions are in that set. (A common lament with coin albums- one never knows what one is getting inside). However, what I can see in that sample picture looks appealing. Say what you will about Littleton as a coin dealer, with their enormous markups, but I have always been impressed with the amount of background info they put into some of their products and packaging and catalogs. My very first mailorder coins came from Littleton, back in the 1970s- I think a lot of us in those days started out with them. From what I have seen of their albums, they look nice.
I might just give that a try- thanks. Of course that'll scrap the spreadsheet thingie I just posted excerpts of, but oh well.
I just hope they don't have slots for Saturninus and folks like that in there!
They are politically biased and say bad things about Caligula.
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
Coins in Movies
Coins on Television
That'd be cool if you can buy the pages alone... but it looks like this is some kind of package deal.
My wantlist & references
My wantlist & references
<< <i>
<< <i>As long as you don't try to have him bounce you on his knee, I guess that's ok >>
Huh. He'd never walk again.
<< <i>Have you checked out this Coin Album for Roman? >>
JZR- nope- I had no idea there was such a beastie, though I certainly knew the market needed one. Have YOU checked it out? Has anybody seen one?
That looks quite interesting. I only wish there were more pictures of it, or an indication of what inclusions are in that set. (A common lament with coin albums- one never knows what one is getting inside). However, what I can see in that sample picture looks appealing. Say what you will about Littleton as a coin dealer, with their enormous markups, but I have always been impressed with the amount of background info they put into some of their products and packaging and catalogs. My very first mailorder coins came from Littleton, back in the 1970s- I think a lot of us in those days started out with them. From what I have seen of their albums, they look nice.
I might just give that a try- thanks. Of course that'll scrap the spreadsheet thingie I just posted excerpts of, but oh well.
I just hope they don't have slots for Saturninus and folks like that in there!
Hmmmm.....I used to have one of those Littleton Roman Imperial coin albums. I can't remember what I did with it. I'll have a look around. I never really used it even though it was kinda nice. I felt that if I was going to buy premium coins that I did not want them in an album.
Also, I started collecting coins of the Empress Sabina (Hadrian's wife) and she's not in the album. So you can see it has a limited use.
Chicolini: Mint? No, no, I no like a mint. Uh - what other flavor you got?
I do however second the motion for inclusion of the Gallic emperors (Postumus, Marius, Victorinus, and Tetricus I). Their revolt lasted longer than any other that didn't succeed in taking the throne of the Central Empire. For ten years, from the capture of Valerian through the accession of Aurelian, the Central Empire wasn't able to challenge their hold on the western provinces. Also the quality of their coinage, at least through most of the reign of Postumus, is of much better fineness (both of metal and style) than that of the contemporary "real" emperors of Rome.
Either way you'll have a very impressive collection.
Rick
1836 Capped Liberty
dime. My oldest US
detecting find so far.
I dig almost every
signal I get for the most
part. Go figure...
<< <i>Who was it on these boards who made the swiveling picture frame kinda display? If I ever actually even near completing a set I'd like to have a display like that--reminds me of a museum display. But that might be kinda cumbersome with this project LM >>
His name was Ken Claypool, and his ID was "Solid". The brand is solid-craft.
I'll have to see what the Littleton album includes. At least to begin with, if I like the album, I might go with their inclusions instead of my A-Z "List of 80". I ordered one last night.
<< <i>I'll have to see what the Littleton album includes. At least to begin with, if I like the album, I might go with their inclusions instead of my A-Z "List of 80". I ordered one last night. >>
I don't remember the issue, but the Littleton album got a nice write up in Celator a few months back. I don;t have one, but I do remember reading the editorial and article on how to store coins.
I see on the Dirty Old Coins software they list relative rarity for bronze and silver issues by emperor. Does anyone know of a similar list of gold coins?
I am finding flaws in my "A to Z set of eighty" already. I suppose that is to be expected when the mapmaker here is one who's never made the full journey himself. We shall see how Littleton mapped it out. If I like their plan, I will follow that.
Otherwise, I am having enough fun with this so far that I might just try for The Whole Enchilada- empresses, usurpers, everybody. Everybody I can afford, or find. That of course leaves an open-endedness that some folks can't stand, and it would take some getting used to for me. I am not sure I could work on an "uncompletable" set.
One thing is certain- this list of mine is going to need some revision, as I learn more and discover some of the realities of the marketplace, too.
Of course I will make the Littleton album the topic of a thread, when it arrives.
In the meantime, I am gathering up all the pictures of my newps, many of which have yet to arrive, for a thread. I've been busy.
This is a great topic - super.
Most ancient collectors go one of three ways in housing their collections:
1. 2x2 flips, with descriptive inserts, in collector-safe plastic sheets, in a binder. Most use 3 ring
but I particularly like the Lighthouse Albums with dust covers for this purpose, along with their
50mm x 50mm 12-pocket sheets, which are 2x2 size. You can easily fit 200-400 coins in one
binder, depending on its size. A hassle to rearrange, though!
2. A wooden cabinet for rows of 2x2s (easier to organize and change around, but expensive).
Some people make their own cabinets, but, alas, I am not so talented to be able to do that...
3. Cabinet (wooden or not) with trays, with perhaps the insert on the bottom of the tray. Also,
pretty expensive, compared to option 1.
Some guys swear by using ordinary staple-type 2x2 holders, but I can never get all of the attribution
on the darn things and they get messy after awhile. The benefit with the 2x2 flips is you can handle
your ancients much easier, and the attribution (which is on the insert) always stays with the coin,
and can be changed easily (just print out another insert on regular paper).
A type set is an excellent way to get a feel for ancient coins! Usually what happens, like collecting other
areas, is that you discover something that grabs you (like desert/sandy patinas, a particular ruler, or
whatever), and then you end up selling your type set to finance better stuff in your chosen area of
specialization. And, some of the collecting areas are pretty specialized!
Yet, even with a basic type set, you will run into formidable challenges in completing it.
It is a fun segment of the hobby, and very active!
John
SFC, US Army (Ret.) 1974-1994
<< <i>1. 2x2 flips, with descriptive inserts, in collector-safe plastic sheets, in a binder. Most use 3 ring
but I particularly like the Lighthouse Albums with dust covers for this purpose, along with their
50mm x 50mm 12-pocket sheets, which are 2x2 size. You can easily fit 200-400 coins in one
binder, depending on its size. A hassle to rearrange, though! >>
This is the way I went. Thought about the Lighthouse items, but I prefer 3-ring, for the readily available pages and the freedom to choose the binder I want. I chose a red leather jobbie with nice brass corners and a zipper. I need to buy more zipper binders- they add some security in case a coin should decide to slide out of one of the pages. I might use the Littleton album when it arrives, but we'll see. That will be the topic of a future post.
<< <i>2. A wooden cabinet for rows of 2x2s (easier to organize and change around, but expensive). >>
Those are handsome, but too bulky for me, and not as portable. The only time I get to show my collection to friends is at shows and such- I have no local numismatic pals. So if somebody sees my coins in person, that means we're on the road.
<< <i>3. Cabinet (wooden or not) with trays, with perhaps the insert on the bottom of the tray. Also,
pretty expensive, compared to option 1. >>
Ditto to the above statement. Nice, and interestingly old-fashioned- these can be appealing, but they aren't for me.
<< <i>Some guys swear by using ordinary staple-type 2x2 holders, but I can never get all of the attribution
on the darn things and they get messy after awhile. The benefit with the 2x2 flips is you can handle
your ancients much easier, and the attribution (which is on the insert) always stays with the coin,
and can be changed easily (just print out another insert on regular paper). >>
Exactimundo. You're preachin' to the choir on that one. The only thing I use staple-type 2x2s for is my 3/$1 bin merchandise. Anything worth a buck on up gets a flip with a printed insert. Not only are the cardboard staple-type 2x2s less professional-looking by virtue of being handwritten for the most part, they're also dangerous if the person stapling them shut fails to crimp his staples flat all the way. This is a pet peeve of mine- you'd be surprised how many bigtime dealers (including those who should know better) overlook this detail. And you probably wouldn't be surprised at how many nice coins get staple-scratched as a result, or fingers wounded. I used pliers to crimp staples for years, until ladymarcovan bought me a flat-clinch stapler two Christmases ago. It's been one of my favorite gifts, and I wonder why I was too cheap to buy one for so many years. (I staple literally thousands of coins for those 3/$1 bins).
Thanks for your imput...
Rick
1836 Capped Liberty
dime. My oldest US
detecting find so far.
I dig almost every
signal I get for the most
part. Go figure...
FORVM Ancient coins has a whole discussion board on fakes.
<< <i>I have been researching and looking into the A-Z in 80 coins and have noticed something... Some of the coins are struck in coin alignment while others are medal alignment. Was there a set standard per period/ruler? Is one or the other more likely to be a fake? Anyway to determine if someone is punching these out and burnishing with a wire brush and then soaking in a dip to give an greyed/aged appearance? I can make all sorts of different planchents and strike soft or hard and change die angles to get a different look each time. What I am asking is: How do I know if a coin is legit and not a garage knock off? Is there a way or is it just experience that tells the collector how?
Thanks for your imput...
Rick >>
Hi Rick,
Experience, experience, and more experience. Regarding alignment, I am aware of no uniform standard, but collectors prefer 0 degree alignment. Each was struck individually, so you are going to get all kinds of alignment on the coins. Regarding fakes, etc., it is more of the same - after you look at thousands of these puppies you KNOW, instinctively, if not exactly in the technical sense, which ones are louses. Original patina is relatively easy to spot. Re-patinated coins, of course, should be described as such, and the chemicals used to re-patinate can usually be distinguished from original patina. The best way to learn the look is to buy some of the repatination products and try them out on culls - you will soon learn the difference in the way original coins look from their re-patinated counterparts. Uncleaned ancients are usually okay - who has time to mess with uncleaneds before they sell them?!
Using reference material like WildWinds (online), RIC, and Sear, you will know what size each piece should be in diameter, its weight range, and individual characteristics. Fakes, etc. rarely get all of the details right.
My rule of thumb for eBay is that 40-60% of the $50 and up material has been tooled, re-patinated, or otherwise seriously messed with (I'm grouping cast fakes and other obvious fakes in this percentage range).
The biggest problem I have experienced with reputable dealers has been incorrect attributions of otherwise genuine and desirable items. Like describing something as Rarity-5 and it is a Common. Again, this is where reference books like Sear and RIC come in. Of course, it also works the other way around - if you know your stuff (through reference materials and knowledge by experience) you can cherry-pick premium items mis-described as common...
You don't necessarily protect yourself by only buying slabs for the expensive items, either. This is a running joke in the ancient coin community - with slabs, not only can you not touch and hold your coins (something near and dear to ancient collectors), a large percent of the time, the attribution is totally wrong, even in slabs from the "good" companies... Go figure.
Hope this helped a bit.
John
SFC, US Army (Ret.) 1974-1994
Thanks again,
Rick
1836 Capped Liberty
dime. My oldest US
detecting find so far.
I dig almost every
signal I get for the most
part. Go figure...
<< <i>Thank you for your post John, and to Lordmarcovan for the link... Both now make me even more worried about buying ancient coins! I can spot most suspect German coins from the proverbial "mile away" (except maybe the grade of a legite coin from a pic).
Thanks again,
Rick >>
Hi Rick:
Van Meter (image above) is a one-volume reference, which a lot of people start out with. I highly recommend it.
List price ranges $25-$35, and, it is safe to buy on eBay...
It covers Roman Imperial Coins.
It has its own numbering system which is a bit cumbersome, but it gives excellent background, specifications, and
tips!
John
SFC, US Army (Ret.) 1974-1994
1836 Capped Liberty
dime. My oldest US
detecting find so far.
I dig almost every
signal I get for the most
part. Go figure...
<< <i>Thanks again, nothing on eBay but I will keep looking. Does anyone here have one for sale? >>
PM sent.
John
SFC, US Army (Ret.) 1974-1994